Ukraine's Ministry of Defense clarified that the family of a serviceman who went missing under special circumstances should not wait for the search to be completed in order to receive the social and legal guarantees provided by law. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing an official explanation from the ministry. The legal status is governed by the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Status of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances," which defines the procedure for acquiring and terminating such status, conducting the search, maintaining the Unified Register of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances (URPMSC), as well as the rights of the missing persons and their close relatives.
The moment the status arises: a statement, not waiting
The status applies to persons who went missing as a result of an armed conflict, military operations, or the temporary occupation of Ukraine's territory. The key principle emphasized by the Ministry of Defense: the legal status arises from the moment information about the person is entered into the register, and the person is considered missing under special circumstances from the moment the statement about their disappearance is filed. There is no need to wait a certain period, apply to a court, or confirm the fact of captivity or death in order to acquire the status. A search statement may be filed by relatives, representatives of the military unit, state authorities, local self-government bodies, public associations, or any other person who became aware of the disappearance.
URPMSC extract: the main document and the procedure for obtaining it
The main document confirming the status is the extract from the Unified Register of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances. The document is issued free of charge within 10 business days; if additional verification of information is required, the period may be up to 30 calendar days. Since 2024, the service has been digitized: the request can be submitted through the Unified Window for Citizens, signed with an electronic signature. From August 2025, the procedure for submitting a request for an extract also allows tracking the status of its processing. The Ministry of Defense specifically reminds not to confuse the URPMSC extract with the TCC notice about the disappearance of a serviceman or the extract from the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations — these are different documents, and it is precisely the URPMSC extract that is required for processing social payments.
Social protection and the rights of the family
Acquiring the status of a missing person does not terminate the social and legal protection of the serviceman and his family. The serviceman retains his status, monetary provision, and the guarantees due to him. The family gains access to the rights provided by law after the information is entered into the URPMSC, not after the search is completed or the person's fate is established. Close relatives and family members include spouses, parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandfathers, grandmothers, grandchildren, adoptive parents and adopted children, guardians and custodians, as well as people who lived together with the missing person, shared a common household, and had mutual rights and obligations. Close relatives have the right to receive reliable information about the person's whereabouts, the course and results of the search, the circumstances of death or demise if established, as well as the place of burial. However, certain information may not be disclosed if its disclosure could harm the search, criminal proceedings, or the safety of the missing person themselves.
The missing person's property: guardianship, not inheritance
The status of a missing person does not terminate the person's civil legal capacity and does not mean that their property automatically transfers to the relatives' ownership. After the information is entered into the Register, guardianship may be established over the property — to do this, it is necessary to apply to a notary. The guardian manages the property in the interests of the missing person, ensures its preservation, fulfills obligations at their expense, and protects property rights. At the same time, the guardian does not become the owner of the property and cannot use it in their own interests.
Termination of the search and financial guarantees
The search is terminated after the person's whereabouts are established, their return from captivity, the official identification of the body, or the establishment of the burial site. The corresponding information must be entered into the Register no later than three days after the circumstances are established; close relatives and applicants also report the termination of the search. The right of family members to a portion of the monetary provision of a serviceman missing under special circumstances is guaranteed by the Law of Ukraine "On the Social and Legal Protection of Servicemen and Members of Their Families." The procedure for payments is determined by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 884. The family members entitled to receive the monetary provision include the spouse, the legal representative of minor or underage children, children with a disability from childhood, or their legal representatives.
The scale of the problem: more than 114,000 people
According to data previously announced by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 114,000 citizens are listed as missing. Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Defense's clarifications on the procedure for obtaining guarantees and the digitization of the request submission procedure through the Unified Window for Citizens acquire practical significance for tens of thousands of families. The introduction, from August 2025, of the ability to track the status of request processing, as well as the ministry's regular meetings with the families of missing servicemen, as reported by Interfax, indicate the state's attempt to systematize interaction with relatives and reduce bureaucratic barriers.
